McLaren has officially announced a new long-term partnership with engine supplier Ricardo for a new hybrid V8 engine for future supercars, the first of which is expected to be the successor to the P1.

When McLaren revealed the 750S, we asked whether it would be the brand's last non-hybridized series production car. We were given the standard spiel about being unable to comment on future products. But just a week after reports circulated about hybrid V8 engine development, McLaren has now officially confirmed the V8 configuration will live on with hybrid augmentation in the next generation of high-performance hybrid supercars from the British manufacturer.

Ricardo, which already supplies the V6 in the McLaren Artura and the V8s used in every other series production McLaren since the 12C was born, will help develop and then manufacture the new V8 engine as part of what McLaren calls the 'Future of Performance' strategy.

"Our new high-performance, hybrid V8 powertrain will form an integral part of McLaren's next-generation product line-up delivering best-in-class performance and thrilling driver engagement," says McLaren CEO Michael Leiters.

"This new agreement with Ricardo is, therefore, an important part of our 'Future of Performance' strategy and builds on the enduring relationship between the two British companies, providing a boost for jobs and ensuring increased investment in what is a vitally important domestic engineering supply chain for future technologies."

Ricardo has supplied approximately 34,000 powertrains to McLaren since the 12C's debut in 2011, with the Shoreham-by-Sea assembly facility conveniently located just 50 miles away from the McLaren Production Center in Woking, Surrey.

"We are extremely pleased to have concluded this new engine supply agreement with McLaren Automotive for their next-generation high-performance V8 powertrain, which extends the long-term relationship between both companies into the next decade," proclaims Ricardo CEO Graham Ritchie.

"Like McLaren, Ricardo has a proven track record of engineering excellence, delivering high-performance technology and the highest standards of product quality supported by the upstream supply chain. With this agreement, we look forward to continuing our established and highly successful relationship with McLaren into its third decade."

No further engine details were given, but Ricardo will continue to supply both hybrid and non-hybrid variants to McLaren. The mention of non-hybrid engines could simply refer to the 750S' life cycle, but it could also point to more unassisted models from the Woking-based automaker.

McLaren representatives previously told CarBuzz that all new models from the ground up (i.e. not the 750S) would adopt hybrid technology. Director of product strategy Jamie Corstorphine said, "Absolutely, we are moving to electrify all our range, and I'll say all new models, and I mean models, will be electrified going forward." So variants or special editions based on the 750S may remain unassisted, but entirely new models will benefit from the new powertrain.

The first is likely to be the P1's successor, which was previously confirmed to be in development, but was said to be years away from completion. In early 2022, we were told not to expect it before 2024 at the earliest.

However, the fact that McLaren is willing to publicly announce this next-gen powertrain is promising.